Weekly Buyer's Guide: Entry Level System - May 2004
by Evan Lieb on May 15, 2004 9:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Guides
Monitor
Recommendation: Samsung SyncMaster 17" Flat-Tube (model 763MB)Price: $150 shipped
Samsung's SyncMaster series of monitors are very popular for price-conscious buyers. With a 0.20mm dot pitch, 1280x1024 max resolution, and 3-year manufacturer warranty, you're getting a good bang-for-your-buck monitor. You can pick this monitor up at your local Best Buy if you don't feel like waiting several days for your monitor to arrive in the mail. We suggest calibrating your monitor for maximum clarity if you do a lot of desktop work. Consult your manual or an online guide on how to calibrate a monitor.
Monitor Alternative: NEC Diamondtron 17" CRT (model FE771SB)
Price: $161 shipped
This NEC model is one of the lower end models of the famous Diamondtron series of monitors. Max resolution is just 1280x1024 and dot pitch is a mediocre 0.25mm. However, the clarity and viewable area (16") of this monitor are better than the Samsung SyncMaster 763MB, and at just about $11 more, it is a nice little upgrade if you're willing to spend the extra dollars.
Computer Case
Recommendation: CaseEdge TS1 Mid TowerPrice: $40 shipped
You can purchase this case online at www.pcclub.com or go to a local PC Club to pick it up. Not only is the black and silver edition of this case very good looking, but the setup is very easy to use and convenient in general. For one, the motherboard mounting screws come installed in their proper holes, a welcome change from having to screw them in by hand. Secondly, the hard drive and optical drive bays contain plastic clips that allow you to install your drives simply and easily without screws. All in all, this case basically comes completely "preinstalled", and even includes a 300W PSU (power supply unit). Any AMD or Intel approved power supply will do for a budget system, considering how little power a system like this draws, but if you're feeling extra cautious for future upgrades, picking up a Sparkle 300W PSU is a fine choice. The price of a Sparkle 300W PSU is about $21 shipped online.
Alternative: Foxconn Super Case 100-G2-P4 Mid Tower
Price: $45 shipped
While this case isn't quite as easy to use or as aesthetically appealing as the CaseEdge TS1, it is still a fine computer case with all the space that you'll need for your budget system. It comes with an AMD approved 300W PSU, but as we said before, you can always opt for a better 300W power supply if you feel like you need an especially good PSU for future upgrades. Still, a free PSU is usually never a bad thing.
In the end, as long as you purchase a case that accepts an ATX motherboard, the choice of computer case is completely up to you, the consumer. There are many aesthetically appealing computer cases out there, so don't let our preferences stop you from exploring other computer cases online or at a local retail outlet like PC Club, Best Buy, CompUSA, etc.
If you cannot find the lowest prices on the products that we've recommended on this page, it's because we don't list some of them in our RealTime pricing engine. Until we do, we suggest that you do an independent search online at the various vendors' web sites. Just pick and choose where you want to buy your products by looking for a vendor located under the "Vendor" heading.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
27 Comments
View All Comments
Zebo - Saturday, May 15, 2004 - link
You can get a way better system for a similar price here----------------
Not only is this hyperbole its spam as far as I'm concerned. Prove you can build a better system for cheaper. Burduns on you to List parts from this vendor and price then list same parts and price from newegg. We've had this discussion and comparison numerous times in the forums. Never does retail exceed building your own.
SxRxRnRx - Saturday, May 15, 2004 - link
You can get a way better system for a similar price here:http://www.cyberpowersystem.com/
I could not build a computer with individual OEM parts cheaper than they are selling them for. Anandtech mihgt as well just recommend some of their specials for the Budget and High End Buyer's Guides.
The default Athlon XP System there has very similar specs for only $424 w/o monitor.
Hard to beat. If you can find a site that is cheaper, please let me know.
Thanks.
gherald - Saturday, May 15, 2004 - link
The topic of integrated video has come up before, the problem with that is really crappy 2D IQ and text. And since 2D is very important for an entry level system, you want to have at least a Radeon 9000. Perhaps Evan should mention this in the article.I agree an SLK1600 would be a better entry-level case/PSU combo... but AT seems to like strange cases. I have six SLK1600's in a cluster -- all tacked directly on top of each other, quite an interesting sight :) -- and they take standard ATX boards just fine. You won't be able to use your bottom 5 1/4" bay, but who needs that these days now that we all use combo drives?
Anyway, at least check them out: http://www.newegg.com/app/viewProductDesc.asp?desc...
You don't hear many complaints about Chaintech because no one buys them. Very few, anyway.
You hear a lot of complaints about Asus because every man and his dog owns at least one, including a lot of stupid dogs who take no anti-static precautions and end up with a dead board a few months after intallation.
But if you are worried about board quality, get the Abit. I own three different abit models (four boards in total, two are of that same NF7-S model) and they are fantastic. The only A7N8X-X I bought died on me, though strangely enough I think it was my tricked-out 9500 NP that killed it, since I quite thoroughly voided the warranty on that li'l beastie and it had been showing signs of failure when my A7N8X-X died :(
Zebo - Saturday, May 15, 2004 - link
Another thing Evan you should really check out Dynatron Copper CPU Cooler Model "BH-610" For only $8 at newegg.It absoluty stomps any sub $20 cooler. Read the user reviews at newegg.com all five stars. My son is running a overclocked 2400 barton to 2.34 Ghz off it and stays below 50C.
Zebo - Saturday, May 15, 2004 - link
$62 for a processor oouch$70!! for a case really ouch
$69 for a motherboard ouch
Duron 1.8Ghz = $40
POWMAX Case with 400W PSU = $22
Shuttle AN31N = $55
Now go buy some decent amount of ram and a RAPTOR hardrive with the savings.
EPAstor - Saturday, May 15, 2004 - link
I think this is a matter of what you define as an "entry-level" system... but wouldn't integrated video, as available in either nForce2 or Via's KM line, be both more appropriate and cheaper? Saves roughly $40-50.Also, for another example of price savings, your case specs out at $71 with power supply... if you're willing to get a MicroATX motherboard, which at this point barely impacts the price for Socket A, it's very reasonable to get the Antec SLK1600, with a 300W Antec PS included, for $42.
Oh, and blckgrffn mentioned reliability issues - I know this will sound strange, but I've heard of more problems with Asus boards lately than positive comments. On the other hand, Chaintech sells cheaper boards at the same feature point (several of which are MicroATX as well), and surprisingly, I've never heard a serious complaint.
Just a few ideas.
gherald - Saturday, May 15, 2004 - link
The statement:"All this adds up to noticeably better performance that, depending on what applications are run, you may or may not notice."
...sounds increadibly silly. You can't go saying it "adds up to noticeably better performance" thereby implying it *DEFINATELY* does so, and then say in the same sentence "may or may not notice"
I suggest you replace the entire sentence and those that follow it with :
1) A clear explanation of which situations the performance *WILL BE* noteiceably better.
2) A clear explanation of which situations the performance *WILL NOT BE* noticeably better.
As things stand, your statement sounds like typical reviewer double talk, that is, unwillingness to take a clear stance on which situations a product performs better than a similar one.
Evan Lieb - Saturday, May 15, 2004 - link
DanDeighan, that cooler is rated past a 2000+, it's good. Either way, you can get a retail 2000+ for just $5 more anyway, as I mentioned.Grelk, we have corrected that error, thanks.
blckgrffn, neither product has been proven to be more unreliable than their competition. That's true in our own experience as well. I'd be interested in knowing where you got the impression the Sony/WD products I recommended are unreliable.
l3ored, yes, we are currently in the middle of adding guides and switching responsibilities among editors. We will be adding an SFF and gaming guide, and Wesley Fink will be handling the high end and overclocking guides now.
Dismal, we only skipped last week's guide, for good reason. :)
jensend, thanks for the audio correction. I'm not sure what you are referring to in your cpu alternative note.
cosmotic, the nForce2 board we recommended is single channel. nForce2 400. The alternative board is nForce2 Ultra 400 though, yes.
KillaKilla - Saturday, May 15, 2004 - link
JenSend, rather than that why not look for where they're getting their Sound Cards... after all, a free Audigy 2 is a relatively good deal, compared to the Audigy at $35.cosmotic - Saturday, May 15, 2004 - link
You should recomend using dual channel memory. 2x128 will be a lot faster then 1x256 in an nForce2 MB.